Amazon Echo Show review

It shines best as a dedicated, hands-free video calling command center.

- Ry Crist, Cnet

Specs / Features

Echo Show brings you everything you love about Alexa, and now she can show you things. Watch video flash briefings and YouTube, see music lyrics, security cameras, photos, weather forecasts, to-do and shopping lists, and more. All hands-free-just ask. | Introducing a new way to be together. Make hands-free video calls to friends and family who have an Echo Show or the Alexa App, and make voice calls to anyone who has an Echo or Echo Dot. | See lyrics on-screen with Amazon Music. Just ask to play a song, artist or genre, and stream over Wi-Fi. Also, stream music on Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, iHe...
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Echo Show brings you everything you love about Alexa, and now she can show you things. Watch video flash briefings and YouTube, see music lyrics, security cameras, photos, weather forecasts, to-do and shopping lists, and more. All hands-free-just ask. | Introducing a new way to be together. Make hands-free video calls to friends and family who have an Echo Show or the Alexa App, and make voice calls to anyone who has an Echo or Echo Dot. | See lyrics on-screen with Amazon Music. Just ask to play a song, artist or genre, and stream over Wi-Fi. Also, stream music on Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and more. | Powerful, room-filling speakers with Dolby processing for crisp vocals and extended bass response | Ask Alexa to show you the front door or monitor the baby's room with compatible cameras from Ring and Arlo. Turn on lights, control thermostats and more with WeMo, Philips Hue, ecobee, and other compatible smart home devices. | With eight microphones, beam-forming technology, and noise cancellation, Echo Show hears you from any direction-even while music is playing | Always getting smarter and adding new features, plus thousands of skills like Uber, Allrecipes, CNN, and more

While the Echo (2017) and Echo Plus doesn’t bring much new to the table, the Echo Show is a different story. It introduces a 7-inch color touchscreen and a 5-megapixel camera to the mix.

So what do you actually use the screen for? You can watch trailers, check the weather, see lyrics to a song, or even stream movies from Amazon Prime Video.

Aside from visual feedback, it can also be used as a VoIP video phone system. Unfortunately, the person you're calling needs to have an Echo Show as well in order for you to see the video. While they didn’t use it often, reviewers thought it was a great way to stay in touch with families.

The Drop In feature also impressed. This allows you to set contacts that connect to your Echo Show whenever they want--essentially turning it into a wireless video intercom system. Reviewers were able to view their home feed even from 20 miles away with the Nest Cam skill in the Alexa app.

While potentially “creepy” they add it’s an excellent option to use as a security camera, baby monitor, or to keep an eye on an older relative.

In general, critics were impressed with how well it worked and the quality of the audio. However, many were let down with the low resolution of the screen itself. With that said, they add the display was bright with decent viewing angles and performed well enough, even if it wasn’t the sharpest.

With the addition of the display, the Echo Show has taken on a different appearance from the standard Echo. Rather than the typical cylindrical design, it’s more rectangular. Many reviewers called it “blocky”.

Some go further and note that it’s width and depth make it too awkward to hide away in a corner or flush against a wall. Wired criticized Amazon's choices, saying, “Nothing about the design feels considered.”

They later realized its large size is not only to accommodate the display, but its two speakers as well. As expected, critics found the sound quality very strong with hardly any bass distortion at high volume. While still not as good as dedicated speakers, most agree that it’s good enough for a small-sized house party.

But Amazon didn’t stop improvements there. They also upgraded their far-field microphone array. Whereas many reviewers found the original Echo to be relatively responsive, with the Show, they were very impressed with how easily the microphones picked up their commands above conversation or music.

But they did experience some issues with it mishearing or misinterpreting their words, though they add that it rarely felt like the microphone array’s fault.

Overall, reviewers were impressed with the Echo Show and most recommend it. Tech Hive states, “…the Echo Show isn’t great at everything, but it will make a fantastic addition to any home.” The Verge adds, “…the improvements over the original Echo are big enough that it’s my favorite smart speaker right now.”

Critic Reviews

Perfect kitchen assistant

There aren't many things that the Echo Plus does better than the Echo Show. For the same price as the Plus, the Show will do all of the same things and make your life just a little easier if you're organized, cook often, or appreciate the video and audio for what it is.

There aren't many things that the Echo Plus does better than the Echo Show. For the same price as the Plus, the Show will do all of the same things and make your life just a little easier if you're organized, cook often, or appreciate the video and audio for what it is.

Alexa fans will appreciate the extra functionality a screen brings to the Echo

If you can stomach the price (or get it on offer), the Echo Show's screen adds a lot of useful functionality to your virtual assistant. However, that doesn't include Netflix or YouTube, and that'll kill it for many people.

If you can stomach the price (or get it on offer), the Echo Show's screen adds a lot of useful functionality to your virtual assistant. However, that doesn't include Netflix or YouTube, and that'll kill it for many people.

Alexa is better with a screen

The device comes into its own when doing things like video calls or song lyrics, although almost everything you can use Alexa for are improved in some way. If you’re willing to shell out, there’s a lot to recommend it.

The device comes into its own when doing things like video calls or song lyrics, although almost everything you can use Alexa for are improved in some way. If you’re willing to shell out, there’s a lot to recommend it.

Smart speaker with a screen has great potential

The Amazon Echo Show is a great little device with a lot of potential. Fitting a smart speaker with a screen adds another dimension to the experience, enabling things such as video calling and watching video – all controlled via voice – that just wouldn’t be possible without a screen.

The Amazon Echo Show is a great little device with a lot of potential. Fitting a smart speaker with a screen adds another dimension to the experience, enabling things such as video calling and watching video – all controlled via voice – that just wouldn’t be possible without a screen.

Provides an entirely new way to interact with Alexa

We’re impressed with the Amazon Echo Show – the display improves the overall Alexa experience, enabling it to do things that haven’t been possible until now, like show you how to cook things step-by-step or provide a livestream of your home security cameras (although with limitations).

We’re impressed with the Amazon Echo Show – the display improves the overall Alexa experience, enabling it to do things that haven’t been possible until now, like show you how to cook things step-by-step or provide a livestream of your home security cameras (although with limitations).

An Echo with visual va va voom

It’s early days yet for the Amazon Echo Show. Despite being out in the US for a few months now, the list of Show-specific skills from third parties remains thin on the ground, so early adopters are going to have to rely on the speaker’s core skill set for now. But...More

It’s early days yet for the Amazon Echo Show. Despite being out in the US for a few months now, the list of Show-specific skills from third parties remains thin on the ground, so early adopters are going to have to rely on the speaker’s core skill set for now. But that’s not such a bad thing because it can do plenty.

Proof that Alexa is better with a screen

Despite those (small) complaints, I do rather like the Amazon Echo Show. It combines all the flexibility and voice-driven brilliance of the regular Echo speakers with a dash of visual flair and it shows that some crazy old ideas don’t need to be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Despite those (small) complaints, I do rather like the Amazon Echo Show. It combines all the flexibility and voice-driven brilliance of the regular Echo speakers with a dash of visual flair and it shows that some crazy old ideas don’t need to be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Alexa steps into a touchscreen future

Amazon has turned its Alexa voice-control assistat into a wider platform. And the Echo Show, which is essentially an Echo with a touchscreen, expands what you can do with Alexa and how useful the service is.

Amazon has turned its Alexa voice-control assistat into a wider platform. And the Echo Show, which is essentially an Echo with a touchscreen, expands what you can do with Alexa and how useful the service is.

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